Sample Letter on the California Homes and Jobs Act
[Place on your letterhead or include your address block]
[INSERT date]
The Honorable [first name] [last name]
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator/Assemblymember ______:
On behalf of [YOUR ORGANIZATION], I am in strong support of the California Homes and Jobs Act, SB 391 (DeSaulnier), and am counting on your support for this critical bill. SB 391 would prevent and end homelessness for thousands of Californians, save local government dollars, create jobs, and fuel our economy.
[ONE TO TWO SENTENCES ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION]
The foreclosure crisis and recession have pushed more people into a rental market already suffering from decades of short supply, leading to record-setting rent increases. The most vulnerable Californians, who struggled to make rent before these crises, face even more uncertainty in today's rental markets. These rising rents are creating more homelessness in California; in fact, the single biggest driver of homelessness is our high housing costs, unaffordable to those with extremely low incomes. And increasing rates of homelessness costs our local governments. In fact, a single homeless Californian incurs $2,897 per month in county costs for emergency room visits, inpatient hospital stays, arrests, and incarceration; 77% of these costs are curtailed when the same Californian finds an affordable place to live. Unfortunately, with funds from successful state housing bonds running dry and the complete elimination of redevelopment, the availability of state dollars to leverage federal funds and private investment to pay for these affordable places to live is the lowest it’s been in years.
Without impacting the General Fund, SB 391 would generate $500 million every year to create apartments affordable to people at risk of or already homeless, as well as homeownership opportunities. This investment will leverage $2.78 billion from federal and local public-private partnerships. The act imposes a $75 fee on documents related to real-estate transactions, excluding home/commercial property sales, thereby creating an ongoing funding source that helps the state live within its means. In addition, the California Homes & Jobs Act would create 29,000 jobs each year, help businesses attract and retain the talent that fuels our economy, and kickstart our construction industry.
I hope you will join us and a growing coalition of over 200 organizations and business leaders in supporting the Homes and Jobs Act.
Sincerely,
[INSERT Your Full Name]
[INSERT Your Title (if applicable)]
cc: Mark Stivers, Senate Transportation & Housing Committee,
Julie Snyder, California Homes and Jobs Act (Fax: 916.447.1900)